The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-05-28
A FATAL SIN.
Young Hotchkiss Passes Quietly Away
in the Early Morning.

| davis sun had touched the tall tops of the
sonbre trees of beautiful Mount Olivet
| Cemetery close by came the elimination of
one of the most sensational tragedies Nash
vile has recently known, in the death Of
Mr.. j. Benjamin Hotchkiss, who has been
| living there in the house of his mistress at
| the point of death from wound received
| from a pistol in the hands of A. Wilhelm,
| Saturday night a week ago. The affair
| created the greatest interest at the time of
| its occurrence, because of the business and
social standing of Mr. Hotchkiss, and the
circumstances surrounding the shooting
| This interest was in no wise abated as days
/ passed, but was shown in the Inquiries rife
on the streets every day as to his condition,
and great hopes were INDUCED that he would
! recover.
In the cottage next to the scene of his
| death lived Mr.. A. Wilhelm, a German me-
| chanic. Prior to several months ago the
| house in question was unoccupied. 1t was
| about that time rented by strange man
| and woman, whose appearance indicated the
highest standing, who. gave their names as
| Mr.. and Mrs. Benjamin. Another woman,
who was thought TO be the sister of Mrs.
| Benjamin, also lived in the house.
| The rooms of the cottage were fitted up
| in elegant style. The neighbors wondered
that people of such means should choose 50
| ordinary a residence, but no one at first
expressed any suspicion that anything was
wrong. After few weeks passed rumors
began to be whispered that things were not
exactly as they seemed, and that the house
was a place of designation and
the women nymphs du pave, and
the man who went under the name of Ben
| jamin a citizen of prominence. No one,
| however, could learn who he really was.
| The reports about the character of the
house were sustained by the circumstances
| that frequently men were seen at different
| times to come out from Nashville and enter
| there. The people in the vicinity felt indig-
nant, Mr.. Wilhelm especially So The in
mates of this gilded den were in the habit
| Of getting water from his cistern, there
being none in their yard. The German,
| hearing of the rumprs, warned the inmates
never to enter his premises
On the night of the fatal ARRAY the gentle
man, known only as Mr.. Benjamin, drove
| out to his mistress home about o'clock,
| and soon afterwards went across to Mr. Will
| helms to get bucket of water. Wilhelm
heard him, and, coming to his door, ordered
him away. The intruder was irTitated at
this, and replied in language warm, under
| the impulse of the moment, refusing to leave
the yard till he had gotten the water. The
| angry owner at once commenced to open
| fire with a pistol which he states was re-
turned; hut this was denied by the deceased.
| The hat of the intruder was first struck.
| Another ball was sent with better aim,
and took effect in his right side. The
wounded man made his way back to the
| next door, and summoned Drs. Douglass
| and j. w. Maddin, Jr., while Wilhelm,
| frightened at what he had done, with his
| family left for parts unknown. The physi-
| clans found that the injured man was in a
critical condition, the ball having pene-
1 III Il
| through the lobe of the liver. 1t was ex-
tracted from the back, and is now in the
| possession of DIR. Maddin.
| Although told of his condition Mr. Hotch-
| kiss, whom the sufferer was found to be,
| though desperate effort was made to sup
press the fact, would not believe that he
was going to die. After several days DIR.
Briggs was called in, and till the last mo-
ment yesterday morning he and DR.. Doug
| lass were in almost constant attendance
| upon the sick gentleman. Monday was the
ninth day, and when that was safely passed
slight hope was entertained by the physi-
clans. But the hope proved vain. Though
he seemed better on Tuesday and stronger
towards midnight he commenced to sink
The doctors saw that the end was near, and
at once dispatched to Mrs. NJ. c. Underhill's
on the Nolensville pike for the parents of the
| dying man. They had been part of every
day with him since the Tuesday after the
shooting, when they had first learned of it.
They came in all haste and spent the few
| hours of life remaining for their son at his
bedside. His last words to them were in
loving recognition of their faces. Just
about O'Clock yesterday morning the poor
man breathed his last
No words can describe the grief of the
aged parents as they realized the terrible
truth that their boy was dead. In the back
ground was the beautiful woman, the blind
infatuation for whom was the indirect
cause of the young merchants end. She
had all along taken the affair in a way
which seemed cold and unfeeling but now
all of her outward hardness melted away,
and rushing into another room, she threw
herself on bed in a flood of tears.
AS soon as possible the body was removed
to Mrs. Underhill's, on the Nolensville pike
where it lies now.
At the little house ON the Lebanon road q
reporter called late in the afternoon. He
called for Mrs. Benjamin, and in few min
utes queenly looking woman, whose form
was the very embodiment of perfection il
symmetry and grace, appeared Her eye.
were red and traces of tears were on hel
checks, but the beauty of the features coulC
not be effaced. She threw herself in al
most reckless abandon in an easy velvet
chair and sobbed in silence for few min
utes.
II have wished a thousand times,n she
cried at length, A." that it had been me in
stead of him that died.
Gradually between her sobS she told the
romantic story of her connection with
Hotchkiss.
~ first met him three years ago in Rich
mond, KY, the home of my parents. My
father was a farmer and in moderate cir
cunstances. His name was Letch and my
real name is May Letch, though don't care
what people call me now.
mr.. Hotchxiss was travelling for Louis
vile house, and happened to be in oui
town. A friend of his, who also knew me
introduced us. My new acquaintance
seemed to take fancy TO me. and took oc
casion to make frequent visits. was ther
II years of age, and fell as much in love
with him as he with me, and yielded to al
his wishes | moved to Cincinnati a yea1
later, and he continued his visits there
Afterward | was sent to the Nazareth
school, near Bardstown, KY Mr.. Hotch.
kiss was then living in Nashville He went
TO the school once and saw me, passing of
as my cousin. My sister, Mrs Halloritl
moved 20 Nashville about yeaI
ago, and l came with her. We
lived at the Griffin place, on the Nolens
vile pike, and my friend boarded with us
Once he and my brother-in-law had diff
Guilty about something, and | left there with
the determination to go into house Of ill
fame. | went TO n certain place on North
College street, but before had been there
three hours Mr. Hotchkiss and nv sister